New monument commemorating 1551 Invasion of Gozo

A new monument has been inaugurated to commemorate the events in Gozo of 1551, when more than 5,000 Gozitans, the majority of the island’s population at the time, were taken into slavery.

The monument was inaugurated on Tuesday evening at the Citadel in Gozo. The Minister for Gozo Anton Refalo and the UNESCO Ambassador for Malta Joe Vella Gauci laid flowers on the monument which was set up following the restoration at the Citadel.

Speaking during the ceremony, Dr Refalo said that the monument remembers those who were taken: “This is the a monument remembering one of the largest tragedies in Gozo’s history.”

The Ministry will be commemorating the event on an annual basis.